Retention is hard. With so many tactics competing for your team’s time and attention, it can be tricky to know which ones to keep, which to ditch, and which to rethink. To help, we’re sharing a short game from the latest episode of Leading The Way:...

In today’s economic landscape, arts organizations face the constant challenge of maximizing income while managing tight budgets. One vital concept that can clarify your financial decisions and improve your marketing and fundraising effectiveness is...

Your team is stretched thin. Budgets are tight. Staff are burned out. And in this unsettled moment for the arts, trying to fill every show and chase every new audience feels like running on a hamster wheel.

In most arts organizations, programming success is still measured by the same old metric: the box office. Did it sell out? Did it cover costs? But this perspective, while financially valid, misses a deeper point: not every show needs to be a...

First impressions matter. But in the arts, what happens in the moments just before a first-time audience member walks out the door can matter even more. For many arts organizations, the real work of retention begins too late. By the time a follow-up...

In the arts, especially in today’s climate of constrained resources, economic uncertainty, and shifting audience habits, the moment a customer walks through your doors is a hard-earned win. But the real challenge is what happens next. Will they come...

Most first-time attendees never return. Not because the experience wasn’t great, but because the follow-up wasn't timely, personal, or built for loyalty. When audience retention breaks down after a first visit, it’s not just a marketing issue; it’s...

Your next loyal subscriber isn’t a stranger; they’re probably already in your audience. And what you do with them this year will make or break your subscription pipeline for 2026 and beyond.

Staffing challenges are hitting every corner of the arts sector. The talent pool is thinner, turnover is higher, and even promising hires often lack the training or support to thrive quickly.

Staffing challenges are hitting every corner of the arts sector right now. Leaders are struggling to keep experienced people in critical roles; or to fill those roles at all.